The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-07-07
DIABOLICAL INGENUITY.


Oh, the awful, diabolical ingenuity
of these tortures! The thumbscrews,
the spanish boot, the bed of ease,
which is a long, narrow plank, about
ten feet long, studded thickly with
wooden spikes, not sharp enough TO
really cut the flesh, but only to bruise,
pierce, and mangle it. Above this is
a big roller also studded with spikes,
and movable, so that when the victim
was placed naked upon the bed and
drawn up and down it by ropes at
tached to his hands and feet the roller
at the same time moved over his body.
Then there were masks that crushed
in the face; ladies from which molten
lead poured into the ears and the palms
of the hands; the easy chair, like the
bed, only the victim sat and was rolled;
the Spanish donkey, something like
a saw horse, with q very narrow plank
upward, upon which the naked
victim was seated, his Cor her) arms
bound backward, and with very
heavy iron weights ATTACHED to the
feet. There was the cradle, its bed
and pillow studded with spikes, upon
which the victim, always nude was
laid, and the cradle rocked violently,
Pictures of all these tortures USED to
hang in the Rath house as a warn
ing TO transgressors; truely, their,
ways here were hard. There were
knives for delicately removing the ears,
hatchets for cutting. off the hands, the
wheel, upon which the poor wretch's
bones were broken one by one, till at
last the coup de grace was given by
his skull being crushed. Now we were
shown a chain made by count, who
loved and was beloved by a sister OF
Frederick the Great, and was sem
fenced to lifelong Imprisonment. Tfs
chain was carved from a single stick
of wood; it was very long, each link
ending in sort of a spoon. 1t sug-
gested to n. that he intended to show
to the world that though in chains he
was still spoons upon his lady love.
Here was also an arrangement by
which the prisoner was held up and
burned under the arms, by means of
wisps of straw, until he confessed.
That was done as late 1858, and yet
people talk of the blue laws of ConneCti-
cut. Why, they were rose-colOred in
comparison with those of this civilized
land in the present century.
In the Old tower, which is said to
have been built by Romans Gold towers
at least partly built by the Romans
are as common here as our houses in
which Washington has slept are at
home,) the Iron Virgin" has place
You are shown the spot where the
prisoner sentenced to her embrace had
to lie without food and water two DAYS
l,E l. 4 hy, ,1rl,t Il;
upon his sins. Near him was .'the poor
sinners bell" which the guide struck
for US to hear; it was hollow solemn
sound, this was tolled every fevsninutes
to prevent any sleep coming to ease
the poor wretch. This is different from
our treatment of murderers. Ours have
a good time of it, all the delicacies of
the season to eat and drink and crowds
of nice young Sunday-school teachers
and pretty, sentimental, admiring
young women who flock to them with
flowers, pseudo religion, and the
charms of their society. Here in
Nuremburg if he even tried to speak
and tell his woes he was 'jabbed" with
spike. On the third day, as by that
time he was supposed to be properly
penitent and to thoroughly realize his
position, he was taken to the Iron
Virgin" This is a huge figure of a
woman. 1t was made in 1850, and
wears a costume of that period. She
wears a mantle over big iron hoops;
Her iron hood almost covers her
smiling, welcoming face. The body
was opened to show US; it is very
heavy, lined with wood, in which are put
long, sharp pointed knives-two very
long ones to enter the eyes and pierce
the brain, and hundreds for the naked
body of the poor victim, who has waited
for her embrace, in the same room with
her, for two days and nights. How end
less they must have seemed! He is taken
to her arms, and the heavy doors, with
their cruel, awful knives, are closed
upon him.